Pomelo’s Recruiting Challenge: High Volume and Small Team
Pomelo is a fast-growing LATAM fintech that builds modern financial infrastructure across the region. As the company scales, so do its hiring needs. Their lean Talent Acquisition (TA) team, led by Ángeles Donelly (Regional Talent Partner Manager), is composed of just three recruiters responsible for hiring across multiple markets.
In 2024, 47% of Pomelo’s hires came from external applications, making it their #1 sourcing channel. But that channel came with a problem: an average of 180+ applicants per role, and up to 25 open positions simultaneously.
Ángeles outlined two major risks they faced:
“The manual work of reviewing every applicant one by one was going to be enormous — and simply unviable for a TA team of just three people.”
“If we couldn’t review every application, we ran the risk of missing out on strong candidates — or even the best possible fit for a role.”
Enter Brainner: Smarter Screening, Real-Time Shortlists
To solve this, Pomelo implemented Brainner, an AI resume screening software that connects directly with their Greenhouse account and ranks applicants in real time based on smart, customizable criteria.
“Brainner replaced the one-by-one manual review of 180+ applications per role with real-time shortlists — ordered by match based on criteria we define. It doesn’t matter if a candidate applies last. If they’re the best match, they show up first.”
No more endless scrolling. No more guesswork. Brainner helped Pomelo prioritize who to review — instantly.
The Results: 42% Increase in Hires from External Applications
Before using Brainner, just 38% of Pomelo’s hires came from external applicants. After implementing Brainner, that number jumped to 54% — a 42% increase in conversion from their most important source of candidates.
This shows that more efficient screening unlocks more hires — without compromising on quality.
The Team’s Favorite Part? Smarter, Flexible Criteria
“I love how efficient it is. The shortlist is shorter, more aligned to our needs — and the criteria are intelligent, not rigid. For example, if we set 5–7 years of experience as a range, Brainner doesn’t take it literally, it understands it as flexible. When you define the right criteria, the candidates who score highest are truly the ones who match what you’re looking for.”
Unlike other “black box” scoring systems, Brainner allows teams to define — and adjust — what matters. Tenure, experience, skills, past employers… it’s all in your control.
Would They Recommend Brainner? Absolutely.
“I totally recommend it. We quickly saw a huge impact in time efficiency, the quality of profiles, and ultimately the hires we made.”
Save up to 40 hours per month
HR professionals using Brainner to screen candidates are saving up to five days on manual resume reviews.